ultimataley, it's going to boil down to trying all of them out [if possible]--there's no doubt a good Chinese one will do the job, so overall just go with how it plays and sounds--your individual preference will tell you, that's all--and all the things you hear about MIK VS MIC VS MII [Indonesia] will be thrown out the window, it won;t matter

I have a 2001 Korean made Epiphone Les Paul standard,I play this guitar regularly and I have never had any problems with it.
The pickups sound good and the playability is awsome!! it stays in tune very well,the toggle switch has never given me any problems at all,no fretbuzz good sustain a very well made guitar.However you should try a few out at first, afterall it is your money and it is your decision that matters in the end.
One thing to look for is to see that is has passed inspection usually you will will see a sticker on the back of the guitar where the control switches are located and it will say "PASSED ,1,inspected by".My local guitar dealer told me to always make sure you look for this detail.I hope this helps.

1st post!! Just bought a '56 Goldtop Reissue the other day - beautiful to look at and play. Serial number is 10041511307 (no letters) printed across the top back of the headstock in gold lettering. Any thoughts what it may indicate? Don't mean to hijack. Thanks.

1st post!! Just bought a '56 Goldtop Reissue the other day - beautiful to look at and play. Serial number is 10041511307 (no letters) printed across the top back of the headstock in gold lettering. Any thoughts what it may indicate? Don't mean to hijack. Thanks.

peace

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...of course you know you must provide pictures as proof. Otherwise we think you are expelling methane gas from your nether regions.

I have to agree with those that say it depends on the guitar. I had heard the same thing between the Korean and Chinese built Epis. I have a 06 Honeyburst out of China that probably plays and has the best sound of any other LP I've tried (admittedly, that's not a large, large group). I had a 97 Korean that, while a very nice guitar, didn't feel as "right" to me as the 06.

It's best to pick them up and play them (not always possible, unfortunately) as there are good and bad no matter where they come from.

I agree w/ steeler80--if it feels/sounds good, go with it--ultimately that's what is gonna tell you in regards to making a decision, whether it be from China, Vietnam, the Phillippines, etc--sometimes the whole 'country of manufacture' can get too perplexing when really it's all about player preference with 'hands-on', good ol' fashioned playing

Many CHinese products are made in prison labor camps with less than decent materials, I would say try and wait till you have the money and search out a Korean

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As someone who's been forced to buy Chinese manufactured parts over the last 20 years (because of the butt-head employers I worked for), who ever told you this baloney?

Uh, it's not true.

Also untrue is that Chinese parts are cheaper, at least when it comes to aircraft parts. They know full well what they're making and charge accordingly for them. Factor in shipping and they usually cost more. There must be some kind of tax write-off for using them?

I recently assembled a 2011 Korean. Les Paul Standard. I had a Chinese version that was badly damaged. I was able to pick up a Korean Standard without parts. It had a broken truss rod. I removed the truss rod from the Chinese guitar and put it into the Korean guitar. I then transferred the rest of the hardware. I was able to see the difference with both guitars completely apart. Here is what I observed. The Chinese truss rod was thicker. I had to create more space in the neck to accommodate it. With the fret boards removed I observed that Korean neck joint was much tighter. The Chinese one had a significant gap on the right side joint. The pickup and switch cavity was more refined on the Korean guitar. The black cavity coating was pretty sloppy on the Chinese guitar. I think the neck wood was maybe a little better on the Korean guitar. They both played nice and outwardly look good. The Chinese workmanship was just sloppier. Kind of hard to tell when you are playing them.

I recently assembled a 2011 Korean. Les Paul Standard. I had a Chinese version that was badly damaged. I was able to pick up a Korean Standard without parts. It had a broken truss rod. I removed the truss rod from the Chinese guitar and put it into the Korean guitar. I then transferred the rest of the hardware. I was able to see the difference with both guitars completely apart. Here is what I observed. The Chinese truss rod was thicker. I had to create more space in the neck to accommodate it. With the fret boards removed I observed that Korean neck joint was much tighter. The Chinese one had a significant gap on the right side joint. The pickup and switch cavity was more refined on the Korean guitar. The black cavity coating was pretty sloppy on the Chinese guitar. I think the neck wood was maybe a little better on the Korean guitar. They both played nice and outwardly look good. The Chinese workmanship was just sloppier. Kind of hard to tell when you are playing them.

I recently purchased an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro in Desert Burst color, made in China. I am very satisfied with its appearance, build quality, playability and sound. By the way, Epiphone now has its own factory in Qindao, China. While I agree that Korean made guitars are often of great quality, I also believe that China (Epiphone in particular) is catching up fast.

About the pick-ups: those who think that Epiphone pick ups are not good should give a try to the new Probuckers. I think they are terrific.